MHA Class Z Prologue
by BigCat.LittleCat
Summary: When an explosion outside calls attention to another class, Midoriya learns that there is another course at UA, dedicated to teaching students with dangerous quirks. The students are warned off by Mr. Aizawa, but what will Midoriya do if one of them confronts him? Can these students become heroes? Or will the course only create the next generation of villains? Written by LC
1. The Boy with Dark Eyes

It had only been a week since the USJ attack, but classes had already gone back to normal. Well, as normal as classes could be at a school for superheroes, Izuku Midoriya mused to himself. Only a few things were unusual.

Mr. Aizawa was still completely covered in bandages and there was something going on outside on the practice field.

The sound of an explosion made Izuku jump.

The boy pressed against the window, trying to see what was going on. Some of the other students stood up to get a better view.

"Huh? Who are they? Do you recognize them, Mr. Aizawa?" Jiro asked, turning to their homeroom teacher.

"That is class 1-Z," Mr. Aizawa answered boredly.

"Class 1-Z?"

"I didn't think there was a class 1-Z."

"I've never heard of it."

The chatter stopped as Aizawa glared at the students.

"If you want me to explain, then you need to be quiet," he said angrily. The students who had been talking shrank a little under his gaze and everyone sat down again. Seemingly satisfied, Mr. Aizawa continued, "Class 1-Z is a special class at UA for students who have extremely dangerous quirks that they can't control without serious training."

"That's scary. And they're in our school? Isn't that dangerous?" Ashido piped up anxiously.

"That's why they're in a different class."

"But why have them here at all? Wouldn't it be safer to just… I don't know, _not_ accept them into the school?"

Mr. Aizawa sighed, leaning back against the wall.

"Just think for a second. If they weren't here, where would they go? What would become of them? You are all very lucky to be blessed with the useful quirks you have, but most of the populous have small, benign quirks that don't do much aside from make everyday tasks easier. Then there are the people who have destructive quirks, or quirks they can't control. You become heroes. What do you think happens to them?"

"Villains," Izuku muttered to himself.

"What was that, Midoriya?"

"Ah," Izuku stood up. "I said they become villains."

"Precisely." Mr. Aizawa swept his gaze across the class. "Let this be a learning opportunity: the only thing that truly separates us from villains, is how we use our quirks. Whether we use them to help people, or hurt them. Class dismissed."

The Pro Hero got up to leave but stopped at the door.

"Oh, and if I find any of you messing with class Z, I'll expel you for their safety _and_ yours."

The students flinched as the classroom door closed a bit forcefully.

"Well that was… weird…" Kaminari said, breaking the silence.

A loud rubble made Izuku look out the window again. A plume of dust rose into the air, hiding the training grounds from view.

"Tch, what a nuisance," Kacchan grumbled, standing up and stalking to the door.

"Hey, remember what Mr. Aizawa said," Kirishima warned. Kacchan paused.

"I wouldn't waste my time."

Izuku watched as the boy left, feeling somewhat worried. After a speech like the one Mr. Aizawa gave them, most would drop it, but Kacchan might see it as a challenge.

"I wouldn't worry about Bakugo," Todoroki said from behind him.

"Oh, I wasn't really that worried, I'm sure even Kacchan knows how serious Mr. Aizawa is-" Izuku rambled.

"Bakugo can take care of himself. You should be more worried about yourself," the boy said cryptically before walking away.

Izuku stared after him, confused.

"What was that all about?"

\\\\\

"Did you guys catch the news last night? Apparently a few villains broke out of jail and the police can't find them," Uraraka said excitedly, practically ignoring the box of food in front of her. "Do you think they'll ask the Pros to help catch them?"

Iida politely finished chewing and swallowed before replying.

"It probably depends on who the villains are. I didn't recognize them, myself."

They looked at Izuku, waiting for an explanation.

"Well, it's technically the police's job to hunt them down, unless the villains cause problems with their quirks again or the police specifically ask the Pros for help," he replied tentatively. Izuku tapped his chin, thinking. "I can't remember who brought them in to begin with. They aren't big name villains or even super powerful ones, just small time thieves if I remember correctly."

"Hey guys!"

Izuku looked up to see a boy with blue hair and dark eyes, holding a tray. Izuku looked at Iida and Uraraka who shrugged, just as lost as he was. He looked up at the boy again, meeting his dark eyes. Did he know-

"Oh! Sasaki! Here, why don't you sit with us?" He asked, moving down one chair to leave an open seat for his friend.

"Thanks!" Sasaki beamed, setting down his tray.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Uraraka asked with a smile.

"Yeah, well, I've been busy," the boy answered, playing with his food. He looked up with a big smile. "But let's not dwell on the past. Let's just enjoy each others company."

Iida nodded heartily in agreement.

"Yes. It's better to live in the present than dwell on the past."

Izuku grinned at Sasaki. It really had been a while… Hadn't it? Sasaki met his gaze and cocked his head slightly.

"Something wrong, Midoriya?"

Now he remembered. They had sat together for lunch just last week. That had been the last time he saw Sasaki. Only a week? It felt longer.

"So what were you guys talking about?"

Izuku paused, racking his brain for an answer.

"Huh? Oh… that's weird, I don't remember," Uraraka murmured.

"Something about the villain break out, right?" Sasaki asked.

Izuku jumped as someone slammed their hands down on the table. It was Kacchan and he looked angry.

"Who the heck are you?" He demanded, glaring at Sasaki. Sasaki smirked.

"Bakugo, don't you remember Sasak-" Uraraka paused looking confused. She turned to look at Sasaki, who was still smirking at Kacchan. "Wait, who _are_ you? I don't-"

The boy chuckled and stood up, taking his tray with him.

"Well, I guess it's over. I had fun while it lasted. Thanks from Class 1-Z for letting me eat with you guys," he said with a sweeping bow.

"Class 1-Z?" Izuku felt his stomach churn a bit. This boy was one of the students Mr. Aizawa had told them to stay away from. But Sasaki was their friend. How had he not known he was in Class Z?

Izuku glanced from Sasaki to Kacchan, then around the table. Iida and Uraraka looked just as confused as him. Then something snapped back into place.

"Wait, I don't remember you at all!" Iida exclaimed, standing up.

"That's a shame. I guess this conversation never happened then. I'll be going now," The boy answered nonchalantly, before turning and sauntering across the lunchroom to where a girl with long blonde hair was glaring at him angrily.

"Sasaki, what were you doing? You know we aren't supposed to-"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Thanks, Kurokawa," the boy cut her off.

Izuku turned back to his table and blinked at his friends.

"What- just happened?"

"You idiots got played. Maybe next time I'll just let them keep messing with you and see if Mr. Aizawa expels you for being so stupid." Kacchan taunted, walking away from the table. Izuku glared after him for a few seconds before looking back at Iida and Uraraka.

"Do you remember that guy at all?" They shook their heads.

Izuku sighed and looked away, thinking about the encounter. That boy, Sasaki, had pretended to be their friend and they had believed him. It must have been his quirk or something. But still… There was something about the way the boy had smiled and talked with them that felt genuine.

Izuku shook off the thoughts. He would have time to go into that later, but at the moment he needed to eat before he had to go back to class. He could find Sasaki later and get some answers then.

After lunch they all returning to their class for homeroom.

"Do you think we should tell Mr. Aizawa about the boy at lunch?" Uraraka asked quietly.

"It would be the responsible thing to do," Iida replied seriously. "We should probably report it, so he can be corrected for his misconduct. Such an incident is unacceptable for a UA student."

Izuku didn't say anything as he walked to his desk on the opposite side of the room from his two friends. Mr. Aizawa probably wouldn't punish them for the incident, but the experience had shaken something inside him. To know that someone could trick them so easily was almost scary.

Instinctively, Izuku pulled out his notebook and flipped to a new page. He stared at it for a second before picking up his pencil and beginning to write.

It was some sort of illusion or memory or hypnotism quirk. He had actually thought he remembered Sasaki, despite never meeting him before. And it hadn't only been him. The boy had managed to trick all three of them at the same time. How did it work? Could he use his quirk on an infinite number of people or only a few? Did it all have to be at once, or could he use it on multiple people at different times? _What was his quirk?_

Izuku looked down at the meager notes, quickly becoming a list of questions he couldn't answer.

"Hello class." He almost jumped as Mr. Aizawa spoke, shuffling to the front of the classroom.

Izuku glanced at Iida, whose face was set with determination. The boy planted his hands on his desk, ready to stand up as soon as Mr. Aizawa dismissed them.

"Alright, it looks like everyone's here," the teacher began, tiredly.

The class looked up as a knock sounded on the door. Izuku glanced back at Iida, who was still sitting in his chair, looking a little startled. Mr. Aizawa sighed, slowly walking over and sliding it open.

"Yes? What do you need?" The teacher demanded gruffly.

"Sorry to interrupt, but there was an incident at lunch between some of our students. I brought Sasaki to apologize." Another voice answered. Izuku strained to see who it was. Another Homeroom Teacher maybe?

The boy stiffened as Mr. Aizawa turned his head slowly, pinning him with a look through the bandages that covered his face.

"Do you know which students?" The teacher turned back to the visitors behind the door.

"Sasaki?" The other voice asked quietly.

"Midoriya, Iida, and Uraraka," A familiar voice answered, just as quietly. Mr. Aizawa sighed tiredly and turned to address the students.

"Alright you three. Come on," he said, gesturing to the hallway.

Izuku stood up, his eyes flicking to Iida and Uraraka who looked just as nervous as he felt. He could feel the entire class's eyes on him as he walked to the door stiffly, following his two friends. In the doorway stood Sasaki and a taller man with a blonde crew cut and blue eyes.

The taller man led them a little further into the hallway and Mr. Aizawa closed the door to the room behind them.

"Are we going to get in trouble for what happened at lunch?" Uraraka whispered to Izuku.

"I don't know, it wasn't really our fault," he whispered back. Mr. Aizawa had said he would expel anyone who messed with Class Z, but he hadn't said anything about what would happen if Class Z messed with them.

The other teacher didn't seem mad at them, in fact he seemed really nice. Familiar even. Izuku wracked his brain for a name.

"Students. My name is Juro Yoshida, though you'd probably know me better as-"

"You're Gravity! The Heavy Hero!" Izuku exclaimed without thinking as it finally clicked. Mr. Yoshida blinked at him before giving Mr. Aizawa a smile.

"Yeah, you know your stuff, kiddo," he said with a chuckle. "And you guys already met Sasaki here." The Pro Hero put a hand on the boy's head. Sasaki looked at the floor solemnly, refusing to meet their gaze.

"Yes, we have met," Iida said stiffly. He was probably still smarting about being tricked, but honestly, Izuku was too. Mr. Yoshida nodded grimly.

"What happened, exactly?" Mr. Aizawa demanded, pinning the other man with a dark look.

"Well, apparently Sasaki used his quirk to make these three think they knew him during lunch today. From what Kurokawa told me, it didn't last very long, but the fact still stands that he used his quirk on them," the Pro Hero explained. "I brought him here so that he could properly apologize." He looked down at the boy expectantly.

Sasaki kept his eyes glued to the floor with a pained expression.

"I'm sorry for tricking you. I shouldn't use my quirk like that," the boy said, bowing. His teacher nodded, seeming to be satisfied.

Izuku smiled at Sasaki.

"Well, there was no harm done, so it's alright," Izuku reassured him.

"No, it's not," Mr. Yoshida cut in gruffly. "And Sasaki knows that. Breaking the rules is still breaking the rules, no matter who's in agreement. Especially when you're putting people in danger."

"R-right. Sorry," he answered, looking down at his shoes. A rough hand tousled his hair and he looked up at Mr. Yoshida.

"It's alright, kiddo. You didn't do anything wrong. But I expect you take that to heart. There are a lot of lines we have to follow as heroes, no matter what's happening. So keep your chin up, and keep moving forward. I'm sure you'll all do fine." The man gave Mr. Aizawa a happy smile. "Well, I should get back to my class."

"Right. Thanks for informing me on the situation." Mr. Yoshida nodded.

"Sasaki, let's go," the Pro Hero said patting the boy on the back. Sasaki nodded, following the man obediently back down the hall.

"Alright you three, back to class," Mr. Aizawa drawled.

"So, you're not going to punish us?" Iida asked.

"For what? As Mr. Yoshida said, you did nothing wrong." Izuku felt a weight release his chest and exhaled in relief.

"Thank you Mr. Aizawa!"

"There's nothing to thank me for. Now get back to class," the man said sharply. The three students nodded and turned, practically sprinting to the room.

Izuku felt a little giddy as he plopped down into his seat. They hadn't gotten in trouble; they hadn't even gotten a lecture from Mr. Aizawa, despite the events at lunch. Maybe he was just tired from the USJ attack…

Mr. Yoshida seemed really nice, too. Maybe if he asked, Mr. Yoshida would tell him about the other students of Class Z. It would be interesting to learn about quirks that couldn't be controlled.

Izuku set aside the thoughts as Ectoplasm walked into the class. It wasn't the time to learn about dangerous quirks. That could wait. Now it was time to learn about math.

 _\\\\\_

 _What is up?! Little Cat with a quick word about My Hero Academia Class Z._

 _This is the AU shared by Big Cat and myself. The series will be released in separate arcs or "volumes" and extra art and shorts will be released on my Instagram account_ _so be sure to check for updates there as well. It might take a lot of time between volumes, since we only post completed arcs as a personal policy, but I, myself, will post updates on my aforementioned Instagram account._

 _I'm not sure what BC will do._

 _The rest of this prologue will be a series of short one shots about the other members of Class 1-Z._


	2. Feeling the Heat

Akane ran as fast as she could, trying to keep up with the students around her. She was falling behind, but staying with the group wasn't the best idea either. The others would steal all of her kills and her quirk wasn't very flashy, so she didn't have much of a chance of standing out in a crowd.

The girl dashed around a corner and found herself in an open plaza. A one-pointer robot rolled around the abandoned square aimlessly as if it was malfunctioning. This was her chance.

Akane stepped back and fired at the robot, but her spiny projectiles bounced off harmlessly. The robot turned, it's red eye-like lense focusing on her.

"Target acquired."

The robot zoomed forward, faster than she could have anticipated.

She backed up quickly, tripping and falling on the uneven concrete. The robot towered over her and she froze in fear. Her attack hadn't done anything. There was no way she could beat even a 1 pointer, even in self defense. It wouldn't actually kill her, would it?

It pulled back one arm and swung down at her. Akane threw up her hands to protect herself.

"Someone help me!" She screamed. Everything became warmer.

Suddenly a boy jumped in the way, catching the arm and the robot's head. Akane gaped as his hands seared into the metal, making it melt. The heat was so intense she could feel her skin begin to blister and she crawled backwards as quickly as she could, trying to escape it.

The boy stepped back and the robot collapsed, completely disfigured and glowing white hot. The mysterious boy was completely covered in some sort of heat suit, except for his hands, which were bare until he put on the gloves hanging from his belt. She could just make out his red hair and green eyes under the helmet he wore.

"You okay?" He asked. She nodded, standing up carefully. "That's good." The boy gave her a bright smile.

"Target acquired."

She spun to face three more robots as they appeared from an alley.

"You should go. It's going to get a little warm over here," the boy said more serious again.

"Right," she managed. Akane should have thanked him, but he was already walking away to face the robots, taking off his gloves. She glanced at the destroyed robot one more time, before turning and running in the other direction.

It wouldn't be safe for her to stay.


	3. Working up the Courage

Takeshi studied the flowers in his hand and his heart fluttered a bit. The bright reds and yellows of the pedals mixed with the green in a pastel of beauty and sweet smells that made him feel like he could fly.

Today way the day he would finally work up the courage to ask out Yumeko Kurokawa, the love of his life.

Resisting the urge to skip as he arrived at the school gate, Takeshi forced himself to walk calmly in side and put away his shoes, but he never let go of the flowers. They felt soft and delicate, but still strong and proud, just like his love. He sighed dreamily, staring at the flowers again.

"Yo, Takeshi!" A familiar voice called. He turned to see Daisuke and Hachiro waiting for him.

"Hey guys!" He greeted them, hurrying to catch up. Hachiro studied the bouquet, taking on a confused expression.

"Flowers? What are those for?"

"Planning on asking out a girl, huh?" Daisuke said slyly, jabbing his elbow into Takeshi's ribs.

"Y-yeah…" He stammered. Takeshi felt his face redden. He cleared his throat and forced down the butterflies in his stomach. He would never hear the end of it if they found out how nervous he felt.

"Well spit it out! Who are you asking?" Hachiro demanded excitedly.

"Kurokawa." His friends blinked at him.

"Wait, what?"

"Don't you know what her quirk is?"

"I mean… she can put people to sleep?" Takeshi said uncertainty. Why did that matter?

"Dude, didn't you hear? Her quirk drives people crazy!"

"Yeah! I heard that she used it on this one kid in grade school and when they woke up, they went insane and started attacking people! She's super dangerous!"

Takeshi looked from Daisuke to Hachiro, searching for any sign that they were teasing him again, but his friends faces were completely serious.

"Oh come on, there's no way that's true," he said cooly. "I mean, she's so nice and athletic and friendly. She's smart and pretty too…" He paused, struggling to find some evidence against them. The butterflies returned to his stomach but the giddiness had completely left him. "There's no way. Those rumors are just rumors."

"Why do you think everyone's so distant from her, then? And why she hasn't been allowed to use her quirk in career tests? Why do you think all the teachers are so scared of her?"

Takeshi gulped, glancing at the pretty flowers, drooping a little from his tight grip. The teachers always had been pretty tense around her, and it was true Kurokawa was distant from most people. Even the girl on her team didn't hang out with her that much. His palms felt a little sweaty. The previously sweet smell of the flowers only felt sour now, as if the plants had wilted. Maybe his friends were right. Daisuke wrapped one arm around his shoulders reassuringly.

"Hey, I know you like her, but there are plenty of fish in the sea, so there's no reason to go after a piranha."

"Man, I just thought today would be the day."

"I know. I get it." Daisuke smiled. "But you have always had terrible luck, so you'll probably save yourself the pain of heartbreak or worse. Better to be a coward than to be driven crazy by a chick with a freaky quirk I always say."

"Shuddup!" Takeshi laughed. He looked down at the flowers and hesitated for a moment before tossing them in the trash.

It would probably be better if he let it go.

"Come on, we'll be late to class."

\\\\\

Yumeko hid behind the classroom door as the three boys passed, hoping they wouldn't notice her. Her hands shook a little bit as she thought about their words but she forced herself to calm down. She was used to this.

It was only natural for them to be afraid of her quirk. She would be okay as long as she didn't use it. It would just take some time for the other students to realize.


	4. One Shot

"Dr. Akinaka? Kenji Daiho is here for his evaluation."

"Alright. Bring him in," Yuko said professionally. Her assistant nodded and disappeared before retiring to usher in a dark haired boy in a middle school uniform.

"Good afternoon Kenji," she greeted him, forcing a cheerful demeanor.

The boy nodded and sat down without saying a word.

"So how have you been feeling?" She asked.

"Fine."

"And school's going well?"

"Yes."

"That's good…" she paused awkwardly. "So… have you had any problems? And anxiety or guilt or anything? You haven't felt out of control?"

"No, it's been the same. I haven't used my quirk on anyone. I haven't felt the need to."

"Have you had to pass the alley where the incident happened?"

"Yes. I walk passed it everyday on my way home."

"And how does it make you feel?"

"The same way it's made me feel for the past 3 years. It doesn't make me feel any way. It's just an alley like every other."

Yuko nodded. She had expected these answers. Every year his responses got shorter, but they were always the same. No signs of side effects or trauma. Not even sign of guilt.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Nothing I haven't already said."

"Well, it's been 10 years since the incident and you're psychologically stable. I think we can stop these yearly evaluations," she said, standing up.

"No. We need to keep going."

"Hm? Why do you say that?"

"Because nothing has changed," he said seriously. The boy leaned forward and a shadow fell across his face. "Given the chance, I would do the exact same thing."

Yuko sighed. So it began again.

"Kenji, what you did was illegal. You can't use your quirk against someone."

"Even if they're threatening my life? What sense does that make? Heroes are allowed to use their quirks to stop crime. There wasn't a hero around, so I had to be my own."

"We've been over this! You are not a hero!" Kenji met her angry gaze unflinchingly.

"You're right. I'm not a hero. But my attitude is not going to change, so we'll just have to keep meeting until I become a hero. Then my attitude will be acceptable, right?"

Yuko opened her mouth but then closed it again angrily. This child was infuriating. She had seen 10 years of almost no progress. They had cycled through the same points for years, and she was getting tired of it. Yuko clamped down on her anger, becoming a smooth professional once more.

"Very well. If you think it will help," she said evenly, moving to leave. Yuko couldn't help but close the door forcefully however.

Mrs. Daiho looked up and smiled.

"How's Kenji?"

Yuko sighed, smoothing a hand over her hair.

"We've decided that we're going to continue with yearly sessions."

The other woman nodded thoughtfully.

"Alright."

"You need to talk to him about this. He still doesn't understand that what he did was wrong."

Mrs. Daiho raised her chin.

"I will not reprimand my son for saving my life," she answered stubbornly. Yuko sighed.

"You know, you aren't helping your son by encouraging his behavior."

"My son wants to become a hero. I don't see a problem with that."

Yuko took a deep breath. "It seems the apple truly doesn't fall far from the tree, in this family."

"I'd rather him turn out more like me than his father," Mrs. Daiho shot back.

"Well he'll end up being like both, if you aren't careful."

The woman stood up angrily and Yuko stepped back. They froze as the door openned.

"Mom, I'm ready to go," Kenji said. Ms. Daiho nodded, motioning for Kenji to lead the way. The woman paused though and turned her cold gaze on Yuko again.

"Oh, and I would prefer it if you don't mention that criminal to me again." Then she was gone, leaving Yuko to collect her thoughts. Well, if nothing else, Kenji had good timing.


	5. Menace to Society

Shinju opened her bento and smiled. Her mom always made the best bentos and today was no exception.

The girl quickly dug in, allowing herself to be completely engrossed in her lunch before turning her attention to the room around her. You could always hear interesting conversations at lunch, so it was important to pay attention, no matter how good your bento was.

There was the usual small talk, plans for the weekend, talking about pets, how cute so-and-so on the whatever-team was, and other stuff like that, but then there was Okaocha and her prep squad. She was always talking about some kind of drama and had become a sort of offensive entertainment for Shinju.

She was obviously talking a big game again.

"I think that some people should be kept out of proper society. People without social awareness will only cause problems and bring down the people around them. They only become brutes and villains who endanger society. They should be locked up to keep from hurting anyone," Okaocha said haughtily, her superiority complex shining through spectacularly. "Like that gang that goes to our school."

"Speaking of which, did you see Ohara today?" One of her entourage began, lowering his voice a bit. "She's all beat up again."

"Must have gotten into another fight."

"Man, I'd love to see one of those," one of the boys sighed. Shinju glanced at Ohara, sitting by herself across the room. Her long hair was messier than normal and a purple bruise under her eye made her look even more like a delinquent. The girl didn't seem to notice the other students were talking about her.

"Exactly!" Okaocha cut in triumphantly. "Ohara and those other bruisers are just menaces to society. They shouldn't be here."

The group fell silent as they realized how loud Okaocha had been with her last statement. Ohara had certainly heard that. They all glanced at the girl uncertainty, but she was still eating quietly. She didn't even look at them.

"Hey, maybe we shouldn't talk about this," one said quietly.

"Oh come on, it's no big deal. It's not like she will actually do anything," one of the others said nervously. Okaocha looked uncomfortable a she cleared her throat.

"Well, as I was saying," the girl continued, reaching for her tea.

Suddenly the bottle exploded, spraying everyone with the drink. Okaocha screamed, falling backward and her friends yelled, wiping their faces and clothes.

"Napkins! Does someone have any napkins?"

Shinju resisted the urge to laughed. Karma really was amazing.

The sound of a chair scrapping made her turn. She looked just in time to see Ohara slip out of the room. Her hair was up in a ponytail.

Shinju got up quickly and followed the girl into the hall.

"Hey, wait up."

Ohara stopped.

"Need something?"

"Did you do that back there?"

The girl smirked at her, eye gleaming. Shinju noted the bruise under her right eye and remembered what Okaocha had said earlier.

"You gonna do something about it?" Ohara asked. Shinju took a reflexive half step back. The other girl's eyes were super intense and there was something dangerous in them.

"N-no, I was just wondering," she answered quickly. Ohara studied her for a few tense second.

"Fine," she said, turning around. "See you tomorrow." The girl waved as she walked away. The tense energy completely dispelled and Shinju started. That girl gave off serious bad vibes. It would definitely be best not to cross her.


	6. Swing Sets

Norio ran as fast as he could, excitement forcing him to smile. It felt great to finally escape school and let out all of his pent up energy. He was going to meet up with Amari and the others at the park to play baseball like they did everyday after school. With midterms only a month away, they were running out of time to have fun. This time his team would certainly-

He gasped as his foot caught on the cracked sidewalk and he tripped.

"Are you okay?"

A girl sitting on one of the swing, half-standing but till holding tightly to the swing.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" He called back. He stood up, brushing the dirt off of his shorts and gave her a big smile. She relax into the swing again. The girl was wearing a middle school uniform he didn't recognise and her long pink bangs hid most of her face. Norio looked around. His friends hadn't arrived yet and she appeared to be alone.

"Hey, you here by yourself?" He asked, walking over to the swing set. The girl started and looked up at him, looking extremely nervous.

"Uh, yeah…" She mumbled and looked away. Norio stood awkwardly, looking around the park again. Amari _had_ said he would be a little late, but he had no idea where the others were.

He sighed, sitting down on one of the swings.

"S-so, uh… Are you here by yourself?" The girl asked quietly.

"Yeah, my friends and I always play baseball after school, but no one's here yet."

"Oh…"

Norio glanced at her, noticing that she was wearing thick white gloves. It wasn't warm outside, but it certainly wasn't cold either.

"What are those for?"

She started and pulled her hands protectively to her chest.

"I-it's nothing…" She mumbled shyly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," he answered. It didn't really matter. He had just been curious. Seriously, where was everyone? He pulled out his phone, but it was dead. Norio sighed, and looked at the girl again. "So, what's your name?"

She looked at him in surprise and he was able to actually see her light brown eyes.

"Oh, I'm Yamai," she said as though she wasn't used to people asking for her name.

"Cool. I'm Ishida. Nice to meet you."

Yamai nodded politely. The swings creaked slightly as they went silent again. The girl was certainly strange, but he supposed she probably just wasn't used to strangers asking her so many questions. Norio wondered again about the gloves.

"Hey Ishida!"

He nearly fell off the swing in surprise as

yelled his name.

"It's about time you got here!" Norio called back, standing up. Amari grinned at him.

"We tried to call you, but you didn't answer. We changed the meeting spot."

"Sorry. My phone died on my way here, so I didn't get the update."

"Well let's go! I wanna play baseball before it gets too late," Amari said pushing him down the sidewalk. Norio laughed, pushing back.

"Just a sec, okay? I need to say goodbye to-" he paused and looked around. Yamai had disappeared. "Hey, did you see that girl leave?"

"No I didn't. Now let's go, I have to walk home tonight!" Amari said pushing his forward again. Norio compiled this time, jogging again of his friend. He couldn't help but look back on more time at the swing sets, still creaking in the breeze.


	7. Monster (Updated)

Hayato chased after the runaway hat, desperately trying to keep track of it without tripping over the uneven ground. The wind had pulled it off his head and swept it over the woods, but he couldn't let his favorite hat go that easily.

The boy stopped to catch his breath, only for a second, watching as the hat finally fell. Soon it disappeared from view, its path obscured by the trees.

"Oh no!" Hayato moaned loudly to himself. "How am I going to get it back now?"

"What are you looking for?" He turned suddenly as another voice spoke. A strange looking boy was standing by one of the trees. He his head was covered in thick brown fur-like hair, topped by two pointed ears like a dogs. He also had a longer, pointed face with round, red eyes. Hayato could see that the hair extended to the back of his arms and legs. The boy shrunk back a bit, and Hayato realized he had been staring.

"My hat flew away," he answered, scratching his head in embarrassment.

"Do you want some help looking for it?" The boy asked politely.

"Oh that would be great! I think the wind took it this way." Hayato pointed further into the woods. The boy looked and then nodded.

"Alright. We can split up to cover more ground."

"Okay. I'll go south. You go north."

The boy nodded and started out, disappearing into the trees and underbrush.

Hayato tried to keep an eye on him, but it was impossible. What was that boy doing out here anyways? He shrugged. It didn't really matter. He just wanted to find his hat and go home. He quickly realized this was going to be way harder than he first thought. The hat could have landed anywhere, including in a tree or bush. Hayato pushed back another swath of bushes, praying it would be there. It wasn't.

Hayato stopped to look around. He had somehow started heading north again, towards the area the other boy was covering. Maybe he had already found it and just couldn't find him.

"It's over here!" The boy called, somewhere to his right, as if answering his prayers.

"Where are you?" Hayato yelled back, trying to find where the boy was calling from.

"Over here!" The boy called again.

Hayato ran through the woods, following the sound of his voice. He finally stopped at the bottom of a large tree, seeing the boy already halfway up. His hat was caught on a branch towards the top, still swaying in the wind.

"Be careful!" Hayato called up after him.

"It's okay," the boy called back. "I'm used to-"

Suddenly a flock of bird burst from the tree, startling him as they tried to escape. The boy yelled and threw up his arms protectively. Hayato gasped as the boy lost his balance, falling backwards out of the tree. He fell to the ground with a solid _thunk_.

"Hey are you okay?!" He asked, running over. The boy curled into a ball, shaking. He was breathing hard.

"No no no no NO NO NO!" The boy began yelling, his words mangling into meaningless screams. He convulsed, his body moving unnaturally. Hayato backed away, feeling his heart beating faster.

"H-hey. What's going on man?" He asked.

"Get AWAY FROM ME!" The boy roared, turning on him. His eyes were narrow and blood red and his teeth were long and sharp. Fur had sprouted on his face and he didn't even look like the same person. He roared again in pain, beating the ground with his arms. The boy, now more of a monster than a human, swung at Hayato, shearing the bark off the tree when he missed.

Hayato stumbled backward in horror. The other boy stood up and screamed at the sky, seeming to forget about him.

Hayato scrabbled at the ground, managing to get to his feet and run away as quickly as he could. He didn't dare look back but he could still hear the boy howling and roaring. There was a rumble and a crash, like a tree falling over and then everything went quiet. Hayato didn't stop running but he chanced a look over his shoulder. The monster was completely gone.

The boy paused, looking around uncertainty. Maybe he should go look. It sounded like the monster had run off. He could get his hat and then escape back into town. Hayato turned around, nervously walking and then running back to where his hat was stuck in the tree. His heartbeat quickened and he ran faster, but stopped short when he came to the tree.

It had fallen over, with deep gouges across the trunk where it had broken. Claw marks showed deep in the bark.

Laying on the fallen tree's trunk, was his favorite hat. There was a little tear in one of the seams, but his mom could fix that. Hayato snatched it up, holding it close to himself and looking around. A rustle in the bushes startled him and he ran back the way he had come. He had to escape before that monster boy came back.

 _\\\\\_

 _Update: As I have worked on this story I slowly came to the realization that I'm not happy as just leaving it as fanfiction. With how much work and love I've put into these characters, I decided I want to make this into an original series. Unfortunately this mean I will not be publishing more of the story as part of the MHA Universe. Still, I'm very proud of the prologue chapters (particularly chapter 1) and wanted to leave them up for anyone to continue to enjoy. I apologize to anyone who has been waiting for the rest of this story, but hopefully I'll be able to release the full stories of these characters as it's own original series._


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